As wireless systems become ubiquitous, problems arise with multiple wireless networks and devices occupying the same space. Interference between systems becomes problematic, with reduced range and audio quality being two noticeable effects.
One technique to increase the operable density of wireless devices is to utilize devices with a shorter working range. The power in these devices can be reduced to appropriate levels and the effective density can be increased. The Bluetooth standard is an example of a local area wireless network with relatively short range devices. Bluetooth is a radio-frequency protocol which allows electronic devices to connect to one another over short-range radio links. Bluetooth devices operate in the ISM (industrial, scientific, medical) band at about 2.4 to 2.5 GHz, and have a range limited to about 10 meters. Spread spectrum frequency hopping limits interference from other devices using the ISM bandwidth. Another example of ultra short range devices is the Near Field Consortium (NFC) technology. NFC has a working range so short that it uses the proximity of the devices for security and for tuning or device selection.
The use of multiple short range wireless devices providing a wide variety of applications and services presents users with the problem of selecting which devices they wish to interact with for a given application. This presents complex Man Machine Interface (MMI) scenarios.
In certain applications, such as certain NFC technology applications, the user can employ device proximity to enable desired links between devices, allowing the MMI to be relatively simple. However, in many applications the effective range of the device is longer than can be managed solely with device proximity and there are many possible devices that can interact. The user must manually select the desired device to connect to from a large number of devices. This becomes problematic when the user input device is very simple with little user I/O functionality.
As a result, there is a need for improved methods and apparatuses for wireless mobile communication devices.